I have been working on making heathier snacks to satisfy my sweet tooth as of late, and I find no better way of doing it than combining whole wheat and chocolate. Today’s recipe for whole wheat chocolate banana bread is not only completely whole grain, but it is moist, rich and delicious as well.
Whole wheat flour lends a nutty flavor to baked goods. That nutty flavor works really well with chocolate, so well in fact that you might not even notice that this banana bread loaf is completely whole grain.
Whole wheat flour can also make baked goods dense, but that is really ok as long as they are still moist and rich. Bananas help to lock in both sweetness and moisture, then I add chocolate chips to add extra richness.
This recipe is not only completely whole grain but in comparison to most banana bread recipes, this recipe is also lower in fat and sugar. And did I mention that it is loaded with rich intense chocolaty flavor? It is a healthy treat that you will want to indulge in again and again.
Variations to the Whole Wheat Chocolate Banana Bread recipe:
- I tried this with melted butter instead of avocado oil but the result was not as moist as the version I made with avocado oil. You can use any neutral flavored oil, like a light olive oil, as well. If you want to use butter instead, you might increase it to 4 TBS.
- To keep this recipe low fat I used 2% greek yogurt in place of additional oil. Fat free greek yogurt will also work, it will just be a tad less rich. Whole milk greek yogurt will still be lower fat that oil if that is your preference. Apple sauce can also be used but it will lend a slightly different flavor being more sweet and less rich.
- Mash and measure your bananas. Not all bananas are the same size so measuring in cups will ensure success every time. If you don’t have enough bananas the bread will turn out dry. Too much and it will take too long to bake, drying out the edges.
- Frozen bananas can also be used. Drain off any liquid and measure only mashed banana flesh.
- For chocolate chips, I prefer dark chocolate for their intense chocolaty flavor. Semi-sweet chips can also be used. If you want a really healthy banana bread you can reduce or leave out the chocolate chips to save on added sugars and fats.
- For the cocoa powder, I used natural cocoa powder with baking soda as the leavening agent. If you want to use dutch processed cocoa powder you will need to use baking powder to achieve leavening, and use more of it. I have not tested this variation so I cannot say the specific amount.
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup natural cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups mashed overripe bananas (from 4 medium or 3 large)
- 3 TBS avocado oil (or another neutral flavored oil)
- ⅓ cup plain greek yogurt or unsweetened apple sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
- Mix together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
- Mash the banana with a potato masher in a large bowl. Measure in cups to ensure you have the correct amount of banana. Mix in the avocado oil, greek yogurt or apple sauce, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
- Mix the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just incorporated.
- Fold in the chocolate chips. (You can reserve some for sprinkling on top if desired.)
- Transfer to the greased loaf pan (and sprinkle any reserved chocolate chips on top) and bake in the preheated oven for 55-65 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out mostly clean (melted chocolate chips are fine; a few moist crumbs are fine). Check at 5 minute intervals starting at 55 minutes to not over bake.
- Cool banana bread at least 2 hours before slicing. Loosen from the pan by running a butter knife along the edge.
